My Fiancé Fell in Love with My Older Sister. After Locking Myself in My Room for Five Days, 500 Years Had Passed. - 45 - The Past and the Present Do Not Intersect

Inside the tower—specifically, the stairs—were just as I remembered.

The problem was my room.

After exchanging glances with Prince Lian, we climbed the stairs together.

“If time flows very differently inside and outside, then it’s better to think that the space itself is in a different world line. This is the quickest way to check.”

What Prince Lian pulled out was a handkerchief.

In front of the door, I tilted my head as I looked at it.

“What is that?”

“It’s just a handkerchief I had. I’ll throw this inside the room. If one second inside equals about ten hours outside, we’ll be able to see it based on how the handkerchief moves.”

I see. If my time-crossing power is still active, then time inside the room should be moving very slowly.

If the handkerchief appears to be frozen in place after being thrown, then that means time-crossing magic is still at work.

I nodded, and Prince Lian opened the door and threw the handkerchief inside.

The result—

“…It stopped.”

The handkerchief looked like it was frozen in mid-air.

It was as if there were no gravity.

“For a moment, I saw something like a ripple spreading. That’s probably the edge of the area where the magic works. Anyway, we’ve confirmed that time-crossing magic is active.”

Prince Lian slowly lowered the arm he had lifted to throw the handkerchief.

Then, he looked at me.

A sparkling light shone in his honey-colored eyes.

“Time-crossing magic does exist. Which means, Lady Felicia—you can return to Tsobellar, five hundred years ago.”

When he said that, I…

☆

That night, I returned to the guest room I had been assigned to, and fell onto the bed with a thump.

If Liza saw me, she’d probably scold me… No, she’d probably go pale.

She would surely ask, “Are you feeling unwell?”

She would worry about me.

Because Felicia of the House of Frenzel would never act like this.

That was how it was supposed to be.

As the daughter of the House of Frenzel and the fiancée of Lord Felix, I always tried to behave in a way that wouldn’t bring shame. I believed I was living that way.

But since coming to the Lumos Empire, I’ve become just a regular Felicia—and that restraint has started to come undone.

Lying in bed, my loose pink hair spread out across the sheets.

As I blankly stared at it, I asked myself—

(Do I… really want to go back?)

“You can return to Tsobellar, five hundred years ago.”

I remembered what Prince Lian had said during the day.

What I felt in that moment was a sense of ‘Ah, I see,’ mixed with confusion… and resignation.

Right after I came to the Lumos Empire, I was confused and thought I had to return to Tsobellar right away.

(…But now)

Even if I return to Tsobellar, there’s no place for me in that world.

If I have to keep watching Lord Felix and my sister like that… I’d rather—

I stopped myself there and sighed at my own thoughts.

(What on earth am I thinking?)

In this empire of Lumos, I’m an anomaly.

I’m a person who shouldn’t exist.

Someone from the Tsobellar Dynasty era shouldn’t be in this empire.

(And besides, I have something I need to do.)

I worked hard to prepare that presentation material.

To make sure that effort isn’t wasted, I have to return to the past.

I must return.

I gently placed my hand on my forehead.

I closed my eyes, but all I saw was darkness, and sleep wouldn’t come at all.

☆

The next day, while walking through the corridor, still sleepy, Prince Lian called out to me.

What he handed me was a crystal-like stone I had seen the other day.

This time, it was faintly tinted a light pink.

This is…

“Is this a parasol stone?”

“It’s a little different. It’s called a candy stone. Its use is… like this.”

When Prince Lian held his hand over the stone, a soft bluish light glowed—and a small, individually wrapped candy appeared.

My eyes widened as he handed it to me.

I took it without thinking, and Prince Lian smiled gently.

“If you think ‘I’ll get something sweet if I use my magic,’ doesn’t that make you feel motivated?”

“Thank you. What flavor is this?”

The candy was wrapped in cream-colored paper, so I couldn’t tell what flavor it was.

Prince Lian smiled and answered,

“That’s a surprise until you eat it. The flavor changes each time, so I think you’ll enjoy it, Lady Felicia.”

It seems he was trying to be very considerate.

Every time I felt his careful kindness, I felt happy.

As I stared at the stone, Prince Lian continued speaking.

“This is usually carried by nannies and nursemaids who look after young children. I thought it would be a good way for you, Lady Felicia, to start becoming aware of magic.”

“Amazing… Five hundred years really is a long time. I can feel it.”

I lifted the stone up in front of my face and held it toward the sunlight, letting it shine through.

Prince Lian gave a small laugh and said,

“Five hundred years is a very long time. Normally, the fact that I can even talk to you like this is something impossible. I must be grateful for this miracle.”

As I stared at the stone, something suddenly came to mind, and I looked up.

My eyes met Prince Lian’s honey-colored ones.

After staring into his eyes for a moment—I asked the question I had been holding in my heart ever since coming to the Lumos Empire.

“Um… This might be a really, really late question, but… why do you call me Lady Felicia?”